SPOILT ROYALS | JAEYONG NCT

2: Weeds And Dungeons

Nevermind, Taeyong did not have a crush. Not on a grown man that had tattled on him like a child to the head maid to get him fired but instead he was weeding out the gardens as a second option. No more crushes, he reaffirmed to himself as he pulled out another crocus weed. Not on rude, haughty, beautiful men who told on him like children.

Looking up from where he was crouched, he locked eyes with the man in question. Prince Jaehyun was accompanied on his walk side to side with his brother and Sir Doyoung scribbling something messily on a scroll behind them. Taeyong's frown turned into a scowl as Jaehyun passed them, lips turned into an obvious and taunting smirk.

He was large and he was rude and he was handsome. Annoyingly handsome. So annoyingly handsome that Taeyong snapped off a flower instead of a weed.

"Taeyong?" a voice said quietly, pulling him out of his annoyed trance. Taeyong blushed from embarrassment at the mauled plant, it was a pretty white rose but now it was ugly. And dead. And sad.

"What do you want?" Taeyong sighed as he stood up, brushing away dirt from his knees before turning around to see exactly who it was. Donghyuck ground his foot idly in the ground and played with his thumbs shyly. "Donghyuck?"

"I'm sorry," Donghyuck blurted quickly and Taeyong frowned. Sorry wasn't going to do much in the long run and if he was being honest, he wasn't really mad at the boy. More so mad at himself, but there was no harm in teasing him.

"I'm weeding out the garden when it's not even my position because of you," Taeyong sighed, folding his arms and suppressing a smile. It was actually mainly because he bumped into a prince but Donghyuck's grim expression made him decide to leave that out.

"I'm sorry," Donghyuck repeated himself again and Taeyong chuckled, ruffling his auburn hair.

"It's alright, kid."

"I'm not a kid, I'm twenty," Donghyuck looked up at him with a nose scrunched in disgust. His switch up was so sudden that Taeyong wondered if he was truly that sorry in the first place. Taeyong quirked a brow but said nothing.

"Okay, be a strong man and help me dig out the rest of these weeds." Taeyong placed the clippers in his hands. Donghyuck looked up at the clippers in his hands with wide eyes before looking back up at Taeyong sheepishly. "That's what I thought." Taeyong snorted, retrieving the clippers. Donghyuck's body visibly relaxed as if he was glad he didn't have to do any manual labour.

"I need your help actually." Donghyuck rubbed his neck, his cheeks painting red. Taeyong quirked a brow. So that was why he apologised. Yeah, he definitely wasn't sorry at all. In fact, Taeyong was sure he'd voluntarily get him in trouble by talking again if it came down to it.

Still, he couldn't find it in himself to say no to him. "What is it?" Taeyong breathed out as Donghyuck looked up at him with disgustingly cute puppy eyes. Even if he'd gotten in trouble again, Taeyong didn't know who could possibly resist that face. A monster maybe.

"The head maid gave me some tasks to do by dinner time but I've kinda been running slow."
Slacking off, Taeyong stopped himself from correcting. It wouldn't make a difference anyways plus he was sure Donghyuck would try to deny it.

"So, I was wondering if you could take my place to serve during dinner?" Donghyuck looked up at him hopefully and clasped his hands. Taeyong pinched the bridge of his nose, he didn't like this idea at all. "Pretty please?"

Finally, Taeyong relented and gave into Donghyuck's puppy eyes. "Fine, Donghyuck," he agreed, looking past him. The sun was beginning to set now so he'd have to hurry up if he was to be done by dinnertime.